The present invention relates to articles for containing and absorbing body fluids. More particularly, the invention pertains to an absorbent article including elasticized bumpers that conform to the shape of the wearer and reduce the potential for side leakage.
Disposable absorbent articles such as diapers, training pants, feminine care products and adult incontinence products have been constructed in an effort to contain and absorb urine and other body exudates. Most of these absorbent articles include several common components. Specifically, disposable absorbent articles routinely include a liquid permeable bodyside liner, a liquid impermeable backing sheet, and an absorbent material disposed between the bodyside liner and the backing sheet. These products also include some form of attachment system, although the specific type may vary among fastening tapes, belts, garment adhesive, elastic straps, mechanical fasteners, integral side panels, or the like.
One common concern in designing the foregoing type of disposable absorbent article is leakage, and in particular leakage of liquid from the side edges of the article. A wide variety of special components have been developed and added to absorbent articles in order to reduce the instances of side leakage. For instance, many absorbent articles include elastic structures positioned along the sides of the absorbent material and stretch bonded to the bodyside liner and backing sheet. The elastic structures are intended to gather the side portions of the article and form seals, gaskets or barriers to impede the flow of liquid past the side edges of the article. In addition to leg elastic structures, absorbent articles have also included elasticized containment flaps which stand up from the surface of the bodyside liner, again in an attempt to control the movement of liquid as well as other body wastes toward the side edges of the article.
Despite the demonstrable improvement in containing body wastes, and in particular urine, afforded by such elasticized structures, absorbent articles are still subject to failures in the form of leakage past their side edges. This may be due in part to the fact that individual elastic elements have been relied upon to provide a relatively high degree of contraction of the article. Consequently, the gatherable materials to which the individual elastic elements are attached tend to form many rugosities, such as wrinkles or creases along the length of the elastic elements when they are in a semi-relaxed state. These rugosities formed in the gatherable material by the individual elastic elements may form a great number of relatively small leakage sites. Additionally, these rugosities tend to rub against the skin of the wearer during use and may contribute to irritation or chafing.
Therefore, what is lacking and needed in the art is an improved absorbent article having elasticized structures that present three-dimensional physical barriers to liquid movement, and specifically elasticized structures that reduce the instances of leakage from the side edges of the article by minimizing or eliminating the formation of rugosities which may result in leakage sites and skin irritation.